Thank you for your interest in the American Church in Paris. For a quicker, more efficient reply to your query, please check one of the topics below.
If your query is a request for lodging or for a job, the American Church does not provide such support. Please also note that internships at the American Church in Paris are ministry positions that require at least matriculation in a university or seminary and are not designed to serve the purposes of the French, international public or private school systems.
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Nous vous remercions de votre intérêt à l'Eglise américaine. Pour une réponse plus efficace, veuillez s'il vous plait choisir un des thèmes suivant.
Si votre requête concerne une aide de logement ou d'emploi, nous vous prions de noter que l'Eglise américaine n'offre pas un tel soutien. Merci également de prendre note que nous n'avons pas de programme de stages.
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Our Mission, Faith Statement, and Polity
Mission: Our congregation is an interdenominational and international Christian community whose mission is to bear witness by word and deed to the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, to provide a place of English language worship in the American Protestant tradition, and to engage in ministries and services that enrich the lives of residents and visitors in Paris.
Faith Statement: Theologically, the ACP could be characterized as belonging to the historic Christian mainstream. Our constitution states:
The Church recognizes the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the revelation of God in matters of faith and practice, and it accepts as a symbol of our union with the great body of Christians living and dead, the spiritual truths embodied in the Apostle's Creed. The church asserts its belief in the freedom and responsibility of the individual and the right of private judgment exercised under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Church Polity: The ACP is a self-governing congregation with a representative governing body called the Church Council. Each year, two General Congregational meetings are held, one to receive annual reports from the leadership and vote on the proposed budget; and the other to elect new officers and members of the Church Council.
The elected officers of the congregation are the Moderator, Vice-Moderator, the Secretary, the Assistant Secretary, and the Treasurer. These officers, together with the Senior and Associate pastors, form the Executive Committee. The Senior Pastor is defined in the constitution as the "chief administrative officer" of the congregation, and reports both to the congregation and to the AFCU, who are his official employers.
The officers, together with the elected chairs and vice-chairs of the standing committees form the Church Council. Council Leaders normally serve a 3-year-term.
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Worship Services
We offer two services on Sunday: Worship Services.
Looking for other English-speaking Protestant churches in Paris? CESC provides a list.
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Concerts and Music
If you would like to have information about:
- The Youth Music Program, please email the Youth Music Director.
- The Contemporary Music Program, please email the Contemporary Music Director.
- Performance spaces and rental details, please email the Business Administrator.
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Sacraments
- If you would like to organize a wedding or vow renewals, please consult: Weddings and Vow Renewals.
For further questions or to reserve a date, please email the Wedding Coordinator. - To organize a baptism, consult: Baptisms.
- If you would like to speak to a pastor about organizing a funeral or memorial service, call the church at 33(0) 1 40 62 05 00.
- If you would like information on getting confirmed, please email Rev. Elizabeth Murray.
- If you would like information on becoming a member of the American Church in Paris, please email the Church Secretary.
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English Conversation
The American Church in Paris doesn't offer language classes.
The public is also invited to participate in any of the activities at the church which might incorporate English. You may also wish to consult the list of cultural organizations at the Council for the English-Speaking Community website: CESC provides a list..
FUSAC also lists a number of language schools and language exchanges.
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Room Rentals and Reservations
If you would like information about renting a room for an activity, see the conditions, schedules and information: Activity Room Reservations.
For further information or to reserve an activity space, please email the Business Administrator.
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Housing, Lodging, Hotels
The American Church in Paris cannot provide housing or accommodations information in Paris, although we provide a bulletin board with notices at the Church house, open 9h-22h Mon-Sat, 13h-18 Sunday.
For short-term affordable Christian housing, however, we can recommend the Adveniat Youth Hostel: http://www.adveniat-paris.org.
Otherwise, please consult other tourist services, including consulting FUSAC: http://ads.fusac.fr.
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Employment
The American Church in Paris cannot help you to find work, although we provide a bulletin board with notices at the Church house, open 9h-22h Mon-Sat, 13h-18 Sunday. Note that foreigners need the appropriate documentation to work legally in France.
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Visas, Immigration
Please contact the embassy for your country of origin.
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Aid Request and Mission Aid
The Council for the English-Speaking Community provides a list of aid agencies in town: CESC provides a list..
You may also email ACP Mission Outreach.
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Bloom Orientation Program
This popular orientation program is designed to help English-speaking newcomers settle into life in Paris. Information: Bloom Where You're Planted.
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Volunteers
One of the core values of ACP is to be a beacon of light and life on the Seine, calling out to our community to come in and be a part of the mission of Christ. There are multiple points of entry for members of ACP and our Parisian neighbors to serve those in need and our community through volunteer opportunities.
Click here to learn of ways you can contribute.
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Historical Information
The American Church in Paris is the first American church established on foreign soil. Begun in 1814, by the mid-1800s the congregation had grown and decided to build its own church. In 1837, the congregation became affiliated with the American and Foreign Christian Union [AFCU], a mission organization doing work in Europe. The American Church in Paris was officially chartered under French law in 1856 and the first sanctuary built in 1857 on the rue de Berri. Our church constitution states:
The American Church in Paris is the instrument of the American and Foreign Christian Union, which is charged with the responsibility of maintaining a place and program of Protestant worship designed particularly for the American community, but open to all residents and visitors in Paris.
Today, the AFCU board is made up of alumni of the church who serve as volunteers and give generously of their time and financial resources to make the continued ministry of the ACP possible.
Following World War I, the congregation grew too large for the rue de Berri site, and construction on the present facilities began in 1926. Major grants for the present building came from two American philanthropic foundations, the Curtiss James Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. The style is neo-gothic, and the stained-glass windows are remarkably beautiful. Most of the windows were designed by Connick Studios of Boston, Massachusetts, and commissioned by Connick to be built by the ateliers of Lorin and Gruber at Chartres. There are two Tiffany windows on the lower level which were brought from the first church to the present one. They were donated in 1901 and are on the list of both French and American national historic treasures.
From its beginning, the American Church in Paris has been intentionally interdenominational. While officially Protestant, it has welcomed Christians of all denominations, and even numbers approximately 20% Roman Catholic among the regular worshipping congregation. The liturgy for the service is drawn from the prayer books of several of the major Protestant denominations, and is very similar to the current Roman Catholic liturgy as well.
In addition to being a spiritual home for English-speakers in Paris, the American Church also serves the larger community in Paris as well, through educational, cultural and social programs. Through its offspring, the Franco-American Community Center, many activities and services are available through the week. Thousands of people use the church every week.
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Technical Problems with Website
Please email Web Maintenance.
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Other
If none of these respond to your needs, please use this contact form.